The present invention relates to a method for attaching an electrode to the skin of a patient and conducting of electrical signals to or from the skin of the patient through a thin film of a conductive liquid.
Conductive gels, creams, pads and paste have previously been used as contact media for applying electrodes to the skin of a patient. Gels, creams, pads and pastes have, however, had certain disadvantages in their use. Specifically, gels, creams, pads and pastes many times gave inaccurate readings because it is hard to control application of the gels, creams, or pastes so that adjacent electrodes do not interfere with one another because of the conductance through the gels, creams, or pastes, i.e., the electrodes were shorted out because of overlap of the gel or paste sites. Thus, the person applying the gel or paste had to be careful to avoid connection between adjacent areas where the electrodes were to be applied.
In addition, gels and pastes are messy and require specific clean-up steps after their use. Moreover, certain gels, creams, and pastes can stain the clothing of the patient.
Thus, it would be highly advantageous to avoid these disadvantages of gels, creams, pads, and pastes, while providing an easy to use and economical contact medium for electrodes.